The notion that a good businessman will make a good president

[Scheavo]

Then his 39 czars are failures and should be fired.

I wonder what you think we should do with Dubya's 36 czars since it's pretty clear that they presided over the worst implosion of our financial system in a generation?  Something tells me you didn't really care much about them back then.

I wasn't too concerned about his appointees/czars when the unemployment was 4.5-5.5% during the Bush years.

Except, ya know, at the end.

[Riceball]

 

The unemployment rate only got that low due to the asset bubble, nothing to do with prudent management of the economy.

Also, showing my ignorance here, why are they dubbed czars? Where do they come from/what do they do? (serious question requests serious answer)

[jsem]

Businessmen don't have to make good presidents. To be successful in business, you really don't have to have a clue about how fiscal policy will affect any other business than your own. You don't have to know anything about monetary policy, you don't have to know anything about foreign affairs.

Sure, they could perhaps be effective in downsizing and maybe making a few programs more effective - but that's as far as it goes.

[kirksnosehair]

The unemployment rate only got that low due to the asset bubble, nothing to do with prudent management of the economy.

Also, showing my ignorance here, why are they dubbed czars? Where do they come from/what do they do? (serious question requests serious answer)

Republicans and/or Conservatives will refer to a Democratic (or Liberal) president's political appointees as "czars" because it is a term that harkens back to communist Russia and is thus generally perceived as derogatory.  They are not "czars" regardless of who appoints them.  They are appointees and every president has them.

[snapple]

"The earliest known use of the term for a U.S. government official was in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt (1933–1945), during which eleven unique positions (or twelve if one were to count "Economic Czar" and "Economic Czar of World War II" as separate) were so described. The term was revived, mostly by the press, to describe officials in the Nixon and Ford administrations and continues today."



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars

[GuineaPig]

The unemployment rate only got that low due to the asset bubble, nothing to do with prudent management of the economy.

Also, showing my ignorance here, why are they dubbed czars? Where do they come from/what do they do? (serious question requests serious answer)

Republicans and/or Conservatives will refer to a Democratic (or Liberal) president's political appointees as "czars" because it is a term that harkens back to communist Russia and is thus generally perceived as derogatory.  They are not "czars" regardless of who appoints them.  They are appointees and every president has them.

Think you've got your history mixed up.

[Super Dude]

"The earliest known use of the term for a U.S. government official was in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt (1933–1945), during which eleven unique positions (or twelve if one were to count "Economic Czar" and "Economic Czar of World War II" as separate) were so described. The term was revived, mostly by the press, to describe officials in the Nixon and Ford administrations and continues today."



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars

Interestingly enough, FDR's czars presided over one of the most revolutionary economic recoveries in modern history.

[Riceball]

So are these the equivalent to cabinet positions in Australian politics? Are they taken from the pool of elected politicians or outside appointments? And what do they do (are they like department heads or yeah)?

I'm finding this quite fascinating.

[kirksnosehair]

The unemployment rate only got that low due to the asset bubble, nothing to do with prudent management of the economy.

Also, showing my ignorance here, why are they dubbed czars? Where do they come from/what do they do? (serious question requests serious answer)

Republicans and/or Conservatives will refer to a Democratic (or Liberal) president's political appointees as "czars" because it is a term that harkens back to communist Russia and is thus generally perceived as derogatory.  They are not "czars" regardless of who appoints them.  They are appointees and every president has them.

Think you've got your history mixed up.

No, I don't.

Most people automatically associate the term "Russia" with "Communist" and the term "Czar" is basically used as an epithet by the opposition. (on both sides)

Notice when PraXis mentioned Dubya's Czars he introduced the word "appointees"

[rumborak]

I think GuineaPig was referring to the fact that czars were before Communism.

rumborak

[jsem]

"The earliest known use of the term for a U.S. government official was in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt (1933–1945), during which eleven unique positions (or twelve if one were to count "Economic Czar" and "Economic Czar of World War II" as separate) were so described. The term was revived, mostly by the press, to describe officials in the Nixon and Ford administrations and continues today."



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars

Interestingly enough, FDR's czars presided over one of the most revolutionary economic recoveries in modern history.

Well, it did take fifteen years.

[Super Dude]

Well yeah...it was the Great Depression.

[jsem]

Ok, nevermind. We don't need this discussion again.

[kirksnosehair]

I think GuineaPig was referring to the fact that czars were before Communism.

rumborak

Right, and I'm saying I know that, but the general public does not.  To them the term "Czar" conjures up images of the "evil empire"

[Riceball]

So are these the equivalent to cabinet positions in Australian politics? Are they taken from the pool of elected politicians or outside appointments? And what do they do (are they like department heads or yeah)?

[kirksnosehair]

Riceball - they are NOT "cabinet" positions per se.  They are more like aids and executive assistants.  They usually handle very specialized and particular items.

The Wikipedia page on them is actually quite informative.

[ReaperKK]

I've translated your psuedo-code into code.   

Code: [Select]


private SameShitDifferentFace Election_2012(scumbag currentPresident) {
     if (currentPresident == politician) {
          nextPresident = businessMan;
     } else {
          nextPresident = politician;
     }
     return nextPresident;
}



[snapple]

I think GuineaPig was referring to the fact that czars were before Communism.

rumborak

Right, and I'm saying I know that, but the general public does not.  To them the term "Czar" conjures up images of the "evil empire"

Axis of Evil, anyone? Anyone? Come on!